Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-10-14
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
yHE AMERICAN BoARD.

THE CONSERVATIVE VICTORY AT THE MEET
ING AT SPRINGFIELD LAST wEEK-THE
MEANING or THE ACTION TAKEN.
The exact meaning of the action taken
at the annual meeting of the American
Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-
sions may not be seen by those who are un-
acquainted with the conditions under which
important decisions are made at such meet
ings The board is a close corporation Of
800 members. The annual conventions
may be attended by 500 or 1000 Congrega
tional ministers who are earnest supporters
Of missionary work. They may take part
in the proceedings aud make eloquent argu-
ments in favor Of or against a certain policy,
hut only the corporate members ara ompow
cred TO vote.
There were 1877 Of these members at the
Springfield meeting. They simply approved
their own established policy. lnasmuch as
that policy had been chosen and put in
force by a very large maiority Of their num-
Der, and as that majority does not admit
that the policy is in any respect defective,
no one could have expected that it would
be abandoned by the men who had made it,
Nor is it probable that this policy will be
changed in the near future, for the major
itv members are naturally determined to
perpetuate their control Of the corporation
At the close Of tho proceedings they filed
thirteen seats that had bpen made vacant
by death or resignation, and all VI these
new members are men who are in accord
with the majority as to the policy against
which 80 many protests have been offered
With the greatest difficulty the opponents
of this policy in the Congregational churches
procured the election Of one Of their advo
Gates to seat with the thirteen.
The corporation, by the action Of very
large majority Of its members, hold that at
death the books are closed, so 10 speak, or,
in othep words, that this life is absolutely
decisive as u the fate Of men hereafter. 1t
refuses to send into siGAllpl heathen lands
missionaries who believe that those who do
not become acquainted with the Christian
religion before death may Afterward have
an opportunity TO he enlightened and 20 be
saved from an eternity Of misery and tort
ure, and even those who do not positively
accept the probation doctrine but are in
doubt about it At Springfield it simply re
affirmed this policy, ny vote Of 40 to
10 it refused to submit 10 church. councils
the cases Of applicants like those whom II
has rejected because Of their opinions on
this point Such councils have ordained
prohationists at home, and they would ac-
cept probationists for missionasy work By
a vote u D5 " 43 it sustained its eXscutive
officers by declining 20 pass resolution de
claring 'that missionaries nf this board
shall have the same right of private judg
ment in the Interpretation of Gods word
and the same freedom Of thought and
speech as are enjoyed by their ministerial
brethren in this country" By vote of
1913 to 40 it reelected the executive officer
who had been its most prominent agent for
the enforcement of its policy with regard
to probationists 1t also tabled resolution
providing tor m inquiry concerning the
methods Of its executive committee
This shows that there was no ground for
the anxiety shown by Rev. DR.. Todd and
certain other majority menbers Of the cor
poration, who had labored for months, by
means of prvats communications 10 in
duce all who sympathized with them 10 at
tend the meeting and who even held eau
Gus of the majority members in Springfield
before the most important business Of the
x,uti,n WA Ir.uglt forward
1t is true that some Of the IH,st ointment
and influential ministers Of the Congrega-
tional church are opposed to the corpora
tons arbitrary methods and restrictive pol
icy, and that many of them would be eK-
cluded from ttle missionary field by the rule
which the corporation eutar0ss bpt what
can they do about it Dr. Mckenzie declar-
ed that aveFy orthodox minister in Boston,
with one exception, Wppld be rejected under
the rule But thesd men ara not ppprpsont.
ed 10y the board This meeting" said
Prof. Fisher Of Yale seminary, docs not
represent the CongregationaliSts Of Con
necticut or, if it does, they are in the pit
referring to the fact that the corporate
members sat ON the raised platform.
If the DISSATISFIED cannot, by persuasion
and argument, causs the haard's policy to
be changed, and cannot cause the corpora
ton to be reorganized on representative
basis, they can choose new agents for the
distribution of missionary funds and form
a new missionary board. Unless they shall
do this they must be content with the old
one and IL meth0ds.